The corner of North Rosa Parks and Willamette.(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)

Portland’s unofficial defenders of transportation safety have once again come to the aid of a bikeway in need.

On Monday, the anonymous group of traffic heros (or villains, depending on your perspective) calling themselves PDX Transformation (@PBOTrans on Twitter) placed two orange traffic cones in the buffer zone of a bike lane at the corner of North Rosa Parks Way and Willamette Boulevard. They were frustated at how many people would drive in the bike lane to cut the corner (a common problem Portland’s official transportation bureau is well aware of). So many people cut into the bike lane at this corner that the paint has worn off. And the behavior has gone on for years.

Back in 2011 I wrote a short opinion piece accompanied by a vandalized sign at this same intersection. Someone had scrawled “5 points” under the bike/walk crossing symbol — as if people using the Rosa Parks/Willamette crossing are nothing more than mere targets in some sick game.

Amazingly, all it took to stop this illegal and dangerous driving habit was about $40 worth of traffic cones. I went and saw it myself on Monday night and couldn’t believe how people stayed out of the bike lane just to avoid these powerful plastic cones:

Reports coming in via Twitter show that the cones are still in place as of this morning. They’ve been knocked down, but people who ride by the location have taken it upon themselves to stand them back up again. Glenn Fee, who follows PBOTrans on Twitter said he plans to monitor the cones twice per day on his commute.

PDX Transportation is very pleased that the cones have survived this long. To them it proves that permanent separation is needed — and would work — in this location. Late last night they posed a question to the Portland Bureau of Transportation (via Twitter): “Those cones have been up for most of two days; why couldn’t you put a concrete curb there?” So far, PBOT has not responded.

These are the same activists that propped open TriMet’s swing gates along the Orange Line MAX at Southeast 11th earlier this month. They are part of what has become something of an orange cone revolution among transportation activists armed with nothing more than cones, paint, Twitter, and frustration. PDX Transformation sprung up after noting the success and notoriety of similar group in New York City. And now there are groups in San Antonio and Seattle as well.

NOTE: We love your comments and work hard to ensure they are productive, considerate, and welcoming of all perspectives. Disagreements are encouraged, but only if done with tact and respect. If you see a mean or inappropriate comment, please contact us and we'll take a look at it right away. Also, if you comment frequently, please consider holding your thoughts so that others can step forward. Thank you — Jonathan

58 Comments

q`TzalFebruary 17, 2016 at 1:15 pm

I feel like each one of those large cones needs 5-6 of thise little “baby” 12″ tall cones following it like a line of ducks.

Maybe topped with a cheap plastic ruler (that flops around in the wind from passing cars) and some cheap version of those vibration triggered valve stem LED blinky lights; every time someone drives by the wind would set them off for a minute. . . . Depending on how much sports team animosity you feel like stirring up you could start with the lime green cones instead and pair up that the appropriate colors.

Oh! This is needed on E. Burnside between 74th & 73rd. The car lane is extra wide at the curve and the bike lane becomes extremely narrow (I’m guessing it was an inadequate paint job?) and still cars come into the bike lane, as evidence by the worn paint. It happens regularly right in front of me while I’m riding in.

@Todd H. …What fire station ? You mean the former firehouse that is now a residential site ? There are no fire stations within at least mile or so of this corner. Your comment however, has seemed to spawn an entire rash of unrelated comment drivel on firetrucks !

If 823-SAFE were working, I’d recommend asking them to fix the lane widths (they did that last year for a similar lane in inner N Portland… can’t remember the details or I’d link the BP article). Unfortunately I got an automated email reply today saying that due to heavy volumes they have a 4 MONTH wait time.

I made this pinch point corner once on my bike just as a car was making the turn also. The lazy, uncaring (or deliberate) driver took the turn too tight, veering well into the bike lane. It was almost my time to “check out”. I reported the near-miss to nearlykilledme.com. I

At the same time, cyclist need to stop just barreling through from the quiet section of Willamette Blvd, across the curve where Rosa Parks becomes Willamette heading toward U of P, daring cars, Tri-Met buses, FedEx trucks, even joggers and partners pushing strollers not to stop for them. These is exactly the type of self-righteous tom-foolery that makes people ANTI bicycle. I see it way too often.

I ride this section often and I have the opposite experience. I come to a complete stop and start waiting for a break in traffic… 9 times out of 10, a “nice” person will come to a screeching stop and then wave me out into traffic. Usually the traffic going the other way doesn’t stop, though. So I stay stopped. Finally the “nice” driver gives up trying to be nice and drives off in a huff, probably wondering why I wouldn’t take advantage of his or her good charity.

That exactly describes my first automobile crash lo those many eons ago. Except I was an idjit and pulled out when they “helpfully” waved me on…. directly in to being T-boned.

My fault.

Lesson learned? Legally only an official police traffic officer directing traffic can be held responsible for bad directions into traffic. Also, you should expect every unseen space to be filled with high velocity car just as all firearms should assumed to be hot/unsafe until cleared and safeties are engaged.

Jay, State law does not require the driver on the other side of a median to stop for a person crossing the road until they reach the median. the person that stopped for you was helping you trigger the law, and you failed to take advantage.

Paikiala, State Law does not require any driver to yield right of way to me when I have a stop sign and they don’t. Doing so creates confusion for everyone. Especially when it is usually the driver on the other side of the road that is stopping, not the near lane…

Just go sit there for six hours… Watch the reality that is. I assure you, that you shall see numerous cyclists blow the stop sign, and roll out into traffic. You will also see motorists performing all types of idiotic moves as well.

i do most of my shopping, imbibing, eating, and entertainment trips by foot. people driving constantly and illegally threaten me as i attempt to cross roads in my neighborhood. there is absolutely no comparison in my experience.

PBOT should simply prioritize the right kind of traffic at this intersection with stop signs at the crosswalk on WIllamette. Then you can complain about all the cars that don’t come to a complete stop and barrel through impatiently.

I ride this way home every night. That crosswalk at Rosa Parks/Willamette needs to include lighted beacons. I always stop, and most motorists I see do the same thing, when someone is attempting to use that crosswalk. Lighting it up like the crosswalk in front of UP would only make that crossing that much safer.

The median is there to slow cars down and make the crossing safer. The space inside the curve is there so legal trucks can make the turn. check out the power pole next time you ride by. the metal protective plate was there long before the median went in.

I rode past here at lunch-time today. It would appear that someone didn’t mind running into the cones because the second one was in the middle of the crosswalk in the bike lane. I had to go towards the traffic lane to get around it. I wasn’t aware of the purpose or I would have stopped and re-positioned the cone, but I assumed it was part of a typically poor construction diversion.

A solution at this location needs to consider legal truck access. something low that could be run over by a truck’s rear tires in the buffer area that would last (not wands, recall the test on Willamette at Bryant).

A low median, maybe 3 inches high, similar to the corners at St Johns/Ivanhoe or 11th/Clay, like a roundabout’s truck apron. maybe with some texture to deter auto traffic?

I guess I don’t understand the “legal truck access” thing. What if that truck were approaching the curve when a cyclist is present? Is it just collateral damage? There is NO TIME when it should be acceptable to cross into the bike lane OR the buffer. End of story.

We need to stop designing our streets around the largest vehicles, and design our vehicles to our streets. The modern fire truck is a perfect example. They design the truck, sell it, then browbeat city planners to set minimum width regulations everywhere. All in the name of “safety”!

Lots of room on the left side of that bus. I think you call this “hitting the apex.” An articulated truck might have to drop a wheel over the line to make that corner, but if it’s going <10 MPH that's not going to matter. If a cyclist _chooses_ to pass a truck in that corner– oops.